Growing better as we age

 

In case you haven’t seen it yet, Prevention magazine’s October “Love Your Age” issue is a winner. The special edition includes more than 40 pages of pro-aging content, including a piece about four inspiring female athletes in their eighties, plus an in-depth report on the science and scams of anti-wrinkle products. In particular, I was fascinated by the results of 
Prevention‘s extensive national survey on various aging topics. Here are just a few highlights from the survey:

*Despite the stereotype of the “crabby old woman,” many of us get happier and less stressed as we age:

“Nearly half of the women in their 40s and 50s and one-third of women ages 60 and older reported being happier now than they were 20 years ago,” Prevention reported. “In fact, as people age, their physiological response to stressful situations starts to diminish.”

*Appearance matters less to mature women — and not as many women are opting for anti-aging cosmetic procedures:

“Only one in 10 respondents said she’d had an anti-aging procedure or cosmetic surgery, and only 11% plan to do so in the future,” Prevention found.

*Maintaining good health was the top priority of the women surveyed:

“Health outranked marriage, children, money, and weight in terms of importance,” Prevention reported. “Boomers are leading the demand for fresher, less processed food.” For many of us, healthy diets and fitness classes are regular routines, which could add a few more years to our lives. 

*As we age, friendship is important to us, but we now value quality over quantity, preferring supportive relationships over superficial ones:

According to the survey, most boomers said they now choose their inner circle more carefully, and spend more time building reciprocal friendships. “I cleaned house of the occasional friends who did nothing to support me emotionally when my mom broke her pelvis and needed constant care,” recalled survey respondent Jackie Morel of New York City. “I have fewer friends now but closer ties overall.”